“The Seventh Victim” by Michael Wood is a heart-pumping, stand-alone thriller that will leave readers riveted until the very last page. The story follows Diane, a mother who has spent 25 years searching for her son’s body, Zachery Marshall, who was allegedly murdered by Jonathan Egan-Walsh. The author expertly weaves together a narrative that is both haunting and captivating, as Diane is confronted with the truth about her son’s disappearance and the dark secrets that surround it.

Wood’s writing is dark, twisted and completely engrossing, making it impossible to put down the book. His descriptions are vivid and haunting, bringing to life the forest where Zachery’s body was found and the prison where Egan-Walsh spent his life. The characters are complex and well-developed, leaving readers invested in their fates and eager to know what happens next.

“The Seventh Victim” is a gripping, expertly-crafted thriller that is not to be missed. Michael Wood once again delivers in this standalone novel, and readers will be left eagerly anticipating his next work. Highly recommended for fans of suspenseful and thrilling page-turners.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Michael Wood has sort of snuck up on me as my new favourite author.

I need more Matilda Darke in my life but this standalone has definitely bridged a gap.

Well written and paced, excellent premise that keeps you wanting more. Highly recommend.

I do enjoy Micheal Wood's books, this one took me a while to get into it but once they were on the case it got really interesting and I got involved and it was a good afternoon read. I just wanted to finish to get to the end, just loved the ending.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Having been invited to review an early copy of this title, i couldnt wait to get stuck in..... O.M.G Michael Wood what another fantastic book
When 12 boys have disappeared from all over the country, and are found they are wrapped in white sheets and buried close to their home so that they are found.
Jonathon-egan-walsh is serving life in prison for the murders of all the missing children. When he dies in prison a letter is found adressed to dianne whoose son Zachary was the only child that his body wasnt found. Jonathon denies taking zacheray. Is he telling the truth? If not him then who?
Ex DI Caroline Turner and alex a journalist who wrote a book about jonathon egan walsh join forces to find Zachary's body, so his family can grieve. Do they?
I did not see that ending coming!! I highley recommend you read this book, brilliant, well done again michael wood 10/10...

I love Michael Woods’ work having read most of them.

This, The seventh Victim, is, I think one of his best.

A stand-alone novel, it hits the ground running, and you are absorbed from start to finish.

New characters that you take to immediately, and a very ingenious and original take on the telling of the cold case/serial killer genre.

Told over several timelines, and from a different perspective, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and highly recommended.

When young Sam Blackstone’s mum doesn’t show up on time to pick him up after school, a tall, thin stranger appears and offers to buy him a burger and take him home. Only, he says he knows him, that he’s the brother of a friend. Luckily, Sam’s mother shows up just as the man makes a grab for her son. She takes him down and holds him there until the police arrive. The Seventh Victim is a stand-alone thriller by Michael Wood, author of the popular Matilda Darke series.

Thus, the sordid, prolific career of child molester and serial killer, Jonathan Egan-Walsh ends. The investigation turns up a collection of boys’ clothing in the killer’s home, which he saved. Bodies of twelve boys have been located, each found buried, wrapped in a sheet not far from his home. One, Zachary Marshall, has not been found but because his disappearance fits and his clothing was among that found in Walsh’s residence, he is presumed among the victims.

His mother Diane has never given up the search for her son. Her obsession destroyed her marriage. It has put distance between her and her other son, and she has few friends outside the support group of the other parents of Walsh’s victims. She remains close to her mother. Her ex-husband has remarried and has children with his new wife. Their younger son is also married and has a newborn, whom they’ve named Zachary.

The families are not the only people impacted by the actions of this deeply disturbed man. Alex Frost is a journalist who wrote a book about Walsh called “The Collector.” A woman who was enamored with Walsh at the time became enraged with Frost and attempted to harm him; unfortunately, his wife was gravely injured instead. In addition, Detective Inspector Caroline Turner was had been the chief investigator. That took its toll in many ways, and we don’t learn until much later in the book what really happened.

Despite writing many times begging to know where her son is, Diane never gets a response. When Walsh dies of cancer, she despairs, thinking she will never know. But he’s left a letter behind stating that he never took Zachary and did not kill him. Should she believe him? The man was a manipulator. With the help of Alex and Caroline, Diane has hope that she may finally be able to bury her son. Caroline’s husband is concerned – angry – as is Diane’s ex. And someone is threatening, vandalizing, trying to scare them off. I had my suspicions, but didn’t this mean that Jonathan had told the truth? Still, there were signs that said that maybe this was just laughing at them from the grave.

The Seventh Victim is a masterfully written story with flawed characters who gel together in unpredictable ways. While not at all excusing the killer’s behavior, the author, through the voices of his solicitor and Alex’s book, seeks to explain what formed his thoughts and actions. We do learn who killed Zachary and what happened. It was not a surprise. Diane gets the closure she needs. Caroline returns to her husband and her dog-walking life. Alex has a new book to write. Will there be a sequel with Alex and/or Caroline? They made a good team. But Alex – get a new car!

I received a digital copy of The Seventh Victim as an ARC in return for my honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and the author.

4.5 stars rounded up

Twenty years ago a number of young boys disappeared and their bodies were found in white sheets, in shallow graves not far from where they were taken. However, when Zachary Marshall disappeared, he was never found, dead or alive. His mother, Diane believes convicted serial child killer, Jonathan Egan-Walsh took Zachary and begged by letter to reveal where he was buried. Jonathan never spoke of his crimes, but when he died, he left a letter for Diane admitting his crimes, but that he never took Zachary. Diane tries to get the police to reinvestigate the case, but they don’t see enough evidence to warrant it. Diane seeks help from a novelist and ex-Dectective from the original case to look at the case with fresh eyes.
Another masterpiece by Michael Wood. A gripping standalone. You really felt emerged in Diane’s world and wanted her to find Zachary and the truth what happened that fateful day. 5 stars!!

I was able to read a copy of this book. This is on the top of one of my favorite thrillers for the year.

Diane’s son went missing 25 years ago. Right after the convicted killer dies. She receives a letter saying he didn’t do it. The people won’t reopen the case, so Diane decides to look for her son herself with the help of a reporter and a retire detective.

Oh boy did this book take you for a roller coaster ride. We get thrown into the case from the very beginning and it doesn’t stop until the very end.

We are seeing different POVs from Diane to the Suspected Killer.

Once you think you know, then someone else seems more likely. I liked playing armchair detective trying to sort the true from fiction.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and HarperCollins UK for lettering me review this book.

‼️ Trigger Warning ‼️
Child Sexual Abuse
Child Murder
Kidnapping

Mixed up,muddled up story which started about all over the place. Basic premise was good but story dragged. Got the ending right.

Thanks to Michael and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Seventh Victim before the publication date. As a new fan of the DCI Matilda Darke series, I was pleased to read this ARC, but it is difficult not to make comparisons between this standalone/first book with the Darke series which has well established characters.

From the first chapter, Michael builds the tension as the story unfolds and he creates so many possible suspects.

It starts in 1996 when Teresa Blackstock arrives at the school playground in time to see her 7 year old son, Sam, being carried away by a man. She gives chase, tackling the man to the ground and calling for help.
Sam’s abductor was Jonathan Egan-Walsh, a serial killer who had abducted and murdered young boys over a number of years.
DI Caroline Turner was the SIO who brought Egan-Walsh to trial where, despite his denials, he was convicted of killing 13 boys, although only 12 of the victims’ bodies were found.
After his death, Egan-Walsh’s solicitor , Lachlan Minnow, releases a letter in which he denies responsibility for the death of Zachery Marshall.
Egan-Walsh is a devious psychopath who has the ability to manipulate people, even managing to create a degree of sympathy from journalist Alex Frost because of his sob stories about his own upbringing.
Is the letter just another of his cruel acts?

The case had devastating effects on Caroline who retired early. Egan-Walsh’s death leaves Zachery’s mother, Diane, devastated as she still does not know what happened to her son.
Caroline joins forces with Alex and Diane Marshall in an effort to uncover the truth.

Since I don’t do Audiobooks I’m hugely grateful to Michael Wood, Harper Collins and One More Chapter for producing a text version of this story “The Seventh Victim”. As a Matilda Darke fan I was looking forward to reading something different from this author and I wasn’t disappointed.

Mass murderer and sex offender Jonathan has been locked away for multiple crimes and revels in his reputation from his prison cell. But he has always denied killing the seventh victim Zachary causing distress and puzzlement to his parents, an ex-cop Caroline and author Alex.

A compelling story with a host of characters set in Skegness rather than Sheffield this kept my attention right to the last page. Recommended and has me looking forward to the non-Matilda series we are promised in the future. No pressure Michael!

Young boys keep disappearing from around Skegness, only to be found days, weeks or months later wrapped in a sheet and cleaned of all evidence. When prolific serial killer Jonathan Egan-Walsh is finally apprehended, there is still one mystery - a victim who he claims never to have snatched. For twenty-five years, Zachery Marshall's family remain in their own personal hell, wondering what happened to him, but a letter arrives that could change everything.

Having read the most recent Matilda Darke book, I was very excited to begin a new series and this book did not disappoint. I found myself trying to second-guess what had happened to Zachery and it was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Whilst I did not necessarily guess the ending, I got quite close from about halfway through though - a 4* book for me!

I was drawn into the story from the first page, the story is about a serial killer found guilty of murdering six young boys. He had served over twenty years in prison until his death..There was another young boy who went missing around the same time as the murders but the murderer always denied being involved..The boys mother has spent her life since the dissappearance trying to find out what had happened to her son. . She joins forces with a reporter and an ex detective, they are determined to find out if the boy was the murderers seventh victim. I found the book to be well written, and a great deal of thought must have gone into handling the sensitive nature of the story.

Imagine receiving a letter from your son’s murderer. Imagine starting to trust him.
What if the only person who can help you find your son is the man in prison for killing him?
A child taken. A mother on the hunt for the truth.

Once again another brilliant book in the Matilda Darke series. It never ceases to amaze me how clever authors can be, this is another well thought story that completely held my attention late into the night. Jonathan Egan, a convicted child killer dies in jail and leaves a letter to a mother of a boy Zachery who she believes was killed by Jonathan but Jonathan denies her boy died from his hands so now the search is on to find out the truth and discover what really happened to this child. Such a heartbreaking situation, there is nothing like a mothers love for her child and you can feel the emotion emitting from the pages, Michael Wood does a fabulous job of conveying this across to the reader.

Always intense, Michael Wood had me gripped to the pages and when I wish to give up my precious sleep I know I am reading another winner. This series was introduced to me by one of my Goodreads friends and I am forever grateful, I really can't recommend these books highly enough and cannot wait for the next. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

This book was well written but too dark and gritty for me personally. I actually had to read it in several sessions to get through it.

It is a fast paced and very intense read full of twists and turns. I think many people will enjoy it!

Utterly fantastic and gripping. Highly recommend if you are looking for a good mystery thriller. This was a good departure from the Matilda Darke series, I am hoping for more standalones in the future. This was great.

I absolutely love Michael wood’s Matilda Drake’s series so had high hopes for The Seventh Victim and it did not disappointed. Michael is an amazing writing one who isn’t scared to shock. The plot was brilliant it was interesting and kept me so involved I couldn’t put it down. This a such a good stand alone book and I couldn’t recommend it enough. The characters are well written and have depth to them.

Thankyou for advanced copy. I have read the authors matilda Darke series snd enjoyed them so was looking forward to reading this standalone book.
25 years and the case of a missing boy comes back to haunt the ex detective and journalist. Both with their own reasons to find out what happened to Zachary.
There is a lot of twists and turns in book and can be very dark in places.

Highly recommend and looking forward to more.

Ideal for fans of the Matilda Darke series who want a standalone mystery from the same author and in the same dark, gritty style. It will do well.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

The Seventh Victim by Michael Wood is a standalone. Love Michael’s Mathilda Darke series and was keen to read this. It starts in 1996 and moves forward to 2017 during the course of the story. Theresa Blackstock was a few minutes late picking her son up from school and that was all it took to capture a child serial killer. This story deals with the aftermath of murder and the effects on the victim’s families and those involved in the case. The horror of the crimes, the despair of the parents and their frustration was evident. Jonathan Egan-Walsh, the murderer, destroyed so many families. It was harrowing for the families and for the police involved in piecing it all together. Caroline was the DI that worked on the case that found him guilty and Alex wrote a book on all the boys found and they were both badly affected. But there was one boy that the murderer said he didn’t kill. Caroline and Alex join forces with Diane, the boy’s mother, to search for the truth. What a read. Couldn’t put it down and think it will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to the author, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC.